Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Wednesday 21 July 1999

Scottish Executive

Education

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional funding or resources it intends to make available to East Lothian Council’s education department to improve education and safety for pupils and staff.

Peter Peacock: East Lothian Council has substantial resources available to it for education. These include funds, targeted through the Excellence Fund, for the improvement of standards, and under the specific grant for the improvement of school security.

Education

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to carry out any investigation into the current management and operation of East Lothian Council’s education department.

Peter Peacock: We have no such intention. The published draft of the Improvement of Education Bill makes provision for the inspection of local authority education functions and a programme of inspections of local authorities will take place over a 5 year period.

Education

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are enrolled in (a) part time and (b) full time further education courses during the academic year of 1999-2000; and what were the equivalent figures for each of the past five years.

Henry McLeish: Enrolment figures are not yet available for the year 1999-2000.

  The table details student enrolments on vocational further education courses in further and higher education institutions in Scotland between 1994-95 and 1997-98, the latest year for which information is available. Data prior to 1994-95 is not available on a comparable basis. Comprehensive data for enrolments on non-vocational courses is not available; accordingly the data shown relates only to vocational further education courses.

  




1994-95 
  


1995-96 
  


1996-97 
  


1997-98 
  




TOTAL 
  

Total 
  

187,529 
  

222,898 
  

269,497 
  

285,330 
  




Full-time 
  

30,643 
  

31,018 
  

33,886 
  

35,833 
  




Part-time 
  

156,886 
  

191,880 
  

235,611 
  

249,497 
  











FE Institutions 
  

Total 
  

187,242 
  

222,654 
  

269,078 
  

284,965 
  




Full-time 
  

30,454 
  

30,916 
  

33,799 
  

35,750 
  




Part-time 
  

156,788 
  

191,738 
  

235,279 
  

249,215 
  



 







HE Institutions  
  

Total 
  

287 
  

244 
  

419 
  

365 
  




Full-time 
  

189 
  

102 
  

87 
  

83 
  




Part-time 
  

98 
  

142 
  

332 
  

282

Employment

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assurances it has sought and what response it has received from Lloyds TSB regarding the continued presence of Scottish Widows headquarters in Scotland and the continued employment in Scotland of all Scottish Widows employees.

Henry McLeish: The First Minister and I met with Scottish Widows to discuss the proposed deal with Lloyds TSB. It is a matter of public record that both Lloyds TSB and Scottish Widows, through their press releases, gave assurances that their combined workforce in Scotland of more than 6,000 will be maintained should the deal between the 2 companies be completed. They have also made clear their expectation that further employment would be created in Scotland over time.

Finance

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the list of Private Finance Initiative/Public-Private Partnerships contracts awarded in Scotland which do not include a purchase option for the public sector on completion of the project, and details of when these contracts were signed.

Mr Jack McConnell: Signed PFI/PPP contracts in Scotland which do not include a purchase option for the public sector are listed below. In some cases, the absence of a purchase option is because there is no asset for the exclusive use of the public sector. Not included are those contracts entered into by local authorities or those within Health Trust delegated limits, details of which are not held centrally.

  


Health Board/ 
  NHS Trust


Nature of 
  Project


Date Contract 
  Signed




Greater Glasgow Health 
  Board (Rutherglen) 
  

Geriatric Care Beds 
  

03/90 
  



Ayrshire & Arran 
  Health Board (Irvine) 
  

Geriatric Care Beds 
  

02/91 
  



Greater Glasgow Health 
  Board (Darnley) 
  

Geriatric Care Beds 
  

12/91 
  



Greater Glasgow Health 
  Board (Ruchill) 
  

Geriatric Care Beds 
  

01/92 
  



Greater Glasgow Health 
  Board (Shettleston) 
  

Geriatric Care Beds 
  

03/92 
  



Lanarkshire Health 
  Board (Bellshill) 
  

Geriatric Care Beds 
  

11/92 
  



Dundee Teaching Hospitals 
  NHS Trust 
  

Medical Equipment 
  

07/93 
  



Grampian Health Board 
  

Mental Health Care 
  Beds 
  

09/93 
  



Lothian & Forth 
  Valley Health Boards 
  

Clinical Waste Disposal 
  

10/94 
  



Northern NHS Trusts 
  & Health Boards 
  

Clinical Waste Disposal 
  

10/94 
  



Royal Infirmary of 
  Edinburgh NHS Trust 
  

Medical Equipment 
  

02/95 
  



Ayrshire & Arran 
  Health Board (Saltcoats) 
  

Geriatric Care Beds 
  

05/95 
  



Lanarkshire Health 
  Board (Cumbernauld) 
  

Geriatric Care Beds 
  

12/95 
  



Edinburgh Healthcare 
  NHS Trust 
  

Care of the Elderly 
  Facility 
  

02/96 
  



Law Hospital NHS Trust 
  

Hospital Information 
  System 
  

03/96 
  



Yorkhill NHS Trust 
  

Energy Management 
  System 
  

07/96 
  



Grampian Health Board 
  

Community Hospital 
  

01/97 
  



Perth & Kinross 
  Healthcare NHS Trust 
  

Hospital Information 
  System 
  

01/97 
  



Yorkhill NHS Trust 
  

Hospital Information 
  System 
  

02/97 
  



Monklands & Bellshill 
  Hospitals NHS Trust 
  

IT System 
  

03/97 
  



Victoria Infirmary 
  NHS Trust 
  

Care of the Elderly 
  Facility 
  

07/97 
  



Dundee Teaching Hospitals 
  NHS Trust 
  

Energy Management 
  System 
  

09/97 
  



Dundee Teaching Hospitals 
  NHS Trust 
  

Car Parking 
  

12/97 
  



Dundee Teaching Hospitals 
  NHS Trust 
  

Medical Equipment 
  

12/97 
  



Lanarkshire Health 
  Board (Cumbernauld) 
  

Geriatric Care Beds 
  

02/98 
  



Edinburgh Healthcare 
  NHS Trust 
  

Care of the Elderly 
  Facility 
  

03/98 
  



Hairmyres & Stonehouse 
  Hospitals NHS Trust 
  

District General Hospital 
  

04/98 
  



Western General Hospitals 
  NHS Trust 
  

Energy Management 
  System 
  

07/98 
  



South Glasgow University 
  Hospitals NHS Trust 
  

Hospital Information 
  System 
  

06/99 
  



South Glasgow University 
  Hospitals NHS Trust 
  

Care of the Elderly 
  Facility 
  

07/99

Finance

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why an independent inquiry into student tuition fees is necessary and why an independent inquiry into local government finance is not.

Mr Jack McConnell: The reasons are as set out in the Partnership for Scotland agreement.

  On tuition fees, the Partnership Agreement said that we would propose a Committee of Inquiry, to review tuition fees and financial support for those participating in further and higher education. This Committee will consider all student finance, which is based on systems that have become dated as modern study patterns have developed.

  On local government finance, the Partnership Agreement said that we would continue to improve the distribution mechanisms of local government finance and would keep under review wider issues of local government finance. We recognise that many aspects of the present financial arrangements need to be addressed and we will be pursuing action on a number of fronts. We believe that, in this instance, this is a more practical and appropriate response than an independent review.

Finance

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what is the membership, remit and report date for the review of local authority capital finances.

Mr Jack McConnell: The existing review of the local authority (non-housing) capital finance system is being taken forward under the auspices of the Capital Planning Committee of the Working Party on Local Government Finance in Scotland, comprising representatives of the Scottish Executive and COSLA. The remit is to review the existing distribution arrangements and to consider the differential ability of councils to raise capital receipts. It is expected that a report on the outcome of the review will be made to Scottish Ministers and COSLA Office Bearers at the consultative meeting on local government finance in either November or January.

Health

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated building and future annual running costs are for each of the eight proposed new hospitals in Scotland and will a Private Finance Initiative finance these costs.

Susan Deacon: The information requested on the 8 new hospital developments is as follows:

  



Estimated Building 
  Costs
£m 


Estimated annual 
  running costs
£m 


Financed by PFI

£m 




New Royal Infirmary 
  

183.7 
  

28.4 ## 
  

YES 
  



New Law Hospital 
  

103 
  

17.54 ## 
  

YES 
  



New Hairmyres Hospital 
  


67.55 
  


13.49 ## 
  


YES 
  



East Ayrshire Community 
  Hospital 
  


9.6 
  


2.1 
  


YES 
  



Glasgow Royal Infirmary 
  


51.9 
  


* 
  


NO 
  



Western General Hospital, 
  Edinburgh 
  


35.8 
  


* 
  


NO 
  



Southern Isles Community 
  Hospital 
  

7.2 
  

2.1 
  

NO 
  



Aberdeen Children’s 
  Hospital 
  


23 
  


* 
  


NO 
  



  ## Includes service costs.

  * The Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen Childrens Hospital and Western General Hospital, Edinburgh – developments are parts of existing hospitals, and their running costs are included in their existing costs.

Health

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many beds, wards, and staff will be provided in each of the eight proposed new hospitals in Scotland.

Susan Deacon: The information requested is as follows:-

  



Number of beds 
  


Number of Wards 
  


Number of staff 
  (WTE) 




New Royal Infirmary 
  

869 
  

25 
  

4054 
  



New Law Hospital 
  

692 
  

24 
  

1700 
  



New Hairmyres Hospital 
  

416 
  

14 
  

1500 
  



East Ayrshire Community 
  Hospital 
  

74 
  

* 
  

127 
  



Glasgow Royal Infirmary 
  

257 
  

15 
  

670 
  



Western General Hospital, 
  Edinburgh 
  

177 
  

9 
  

Not yet available 
  



Southern Isles Community 
  Hospital 
  

29 
  

2 
  

60 
  



Aberdeen Children’s 
  Hospital 
  

106 
  

5 
  

286 
  



  * East Ayrshire Community Hospital includes 74 single rooms for in-patients.

Health

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive where and when will each of the eight proposed new hospitals in Scotland be built.

Susan Deacon: The information requested is as follows:-

  



SITE OF 
  HOSPITAL PROJECTS 


STARTING 
  DATE OF PROJECTS 




New Royal Infirmary 
  

South Edinburgh 
  

August 1998 
  



New Law Hospital 
  

Netherton, Wishaw 
  

June 1998 
  



New Hairmyres Hospital 
  

Existing site 
  

April 1998 
  



East Ayrshire Community 
  Hospital 
  

Cumnock, Ayrshire 
  

April 1999 
  



Glasgow Royal Infirmary 
  

Existing site 
  

November 1998 
  



Western General Hospital, 
  Edinburgh 
  

North West Edinburgh 
  

August 1998 
  



Southern Isles Community 
  Hospital 
  

Benbecula 
  

July 1999 
  



Aberdeen Children’s 
  Hospital 
  

Foresterhill, Aberdeen 
  

October 2000

Housing

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the relevant Minister will be willing, if requested, to visit Tillydrone to discuss with the local community their bid for assistance for local housing improvements.

Ms Wendy Alexander: New Housing Partnership resources totalling almost £2 million have been earmarked to enable Aberdeen City Council to progress City-wide proposals. Calum MacDonald met the Tillydrone tenants and the Council in March this year. The Council is now considering the future options for its housing and I await the outcome of this consideration. It may, however, be possible to meet the Tillydrone local community during a visit to Aberdeen that I have agreed with Lewis MacDonald MSP or Aberdeen Central.

Housing

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to establish a rent deposit fund to provide low-income families and individuals with access to loans to pay deposits for privately rented accommodation.

Ms Wendy Alexander: In its Partnership for Scotland , the Scottish Executive made a commitment to encourage rent deposit schemes. Local authorities already have powers to give rent guarantees or indemnities, or if required payments, to private sector landlords where this is necessary to secure the grant of a tenancy. We believe that such schemes have a valuable part to play in promoting housing opportunities for households on low incomes.

Housing

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many homes unfit for human habitation there are in each local authority area and what plans it has to reduce the number.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The statutory measure of basic house condition in Scotland is the Tolerable Standard. It does not make mention of fitness for human habitation. Local authorities submit estimates of the number of below tolerable standard houses in their areas at 31 March each year. These estimates are published by the Scottish Executive. The most recent are for 31 March 1998 and are set out in statistical bulletin number HSG/1999/1, copies of which have been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. Local authorities are responsible for dealing with below tolerable standard houses, and this is one of the four national priorities for housing investment in Scotland.

Housing

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what are the total capital receipts arising from the sale of council houses since 1979 for each local authority in Scotland.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Information for the financial years 1990-91 to 1997-98, as reported by local authorities, is given in the tables. Information for the earlier years is not readily available.

  Table 1

  Total Capital Receipts - Council House Sales 1990-91 – 1995-96

  








£000s







Total Receipts 
  

1















1990-91 
  

1991-92 
  

1992-93 
  

1993-94 
  

1994-95 
  

1995-96 
  








 



Scotland


266,958


245,997


269,721


246,794


261,993


203,401













Orkney 
  

554 
  

864 
  

1,106 
  

560 
  

576 
  

0 
  



Shetland 
  

463 
  

660 
  

863 
  

1,137 
  

1,271 
  

1,249 
  



Western Isles 
  

430 
  

725 
  

554 
  

827 
  

721 
  

439 
  



Berwickshire 
  

705 
  

824 
  

988 
  

1,196 
  

1,088 
  

346 
  



Ettrick&Lauderdale 
  

1,020 
  

936 
  

1,018 
  

1,052 
  

1,184 
  

860 
  



Roxburgh 
  

1,184 
  

1,401 
  

1,260 
  

1,547 
  

1,988 
  

1,580 
  



Tweeddale 
  

346 
  

315 
  

527 
  

691 
  

784 
  

489 
  



Clackmannan 
  

2,762 
  

2,461 
  

3,273 
  

2,846 
  

3,014 
  

2,396 
  



Falkirk 
  

8,301 
  

8,302 
  

10,604 
  

8,897 
  

8,903 
  

6,044 
  



Stirling 
  

4,748 
  

4,691 
  

5,676 
  

5,455 
  

4,355 
  

3,830 
  



Annandale&Eskdale 
  

1,796 
  

1,762 
  

2,193 
  

2,600 
  

2,380 
  

1,658 
  



Nithsdale 
  

1,953 
  

1,890 
  

2,288 
  

2,581 
  

2,636 
  

2,374 
  



Stewartry 
  

675 
  

931 
  

988 
  

1,312 
  

1,545 
  

947 
  



Wigtown 
  

1,054 
  

1,233 
  

2,367 
  

1,976 
  

1,827 
  

1,951 
  



Dunfermline 
  

6,186 
  

5,517 
  

5,261 
  

4,361 
  

6,363 
  

3,615 
  



Kirkcaldy 
  

6,982 
  

7,247 
  

6,991 
  

6,207 
  

6,271 
  

5,174 
  



North East Fife 
  

2,224 
  

2,778 
  

2,529 
  

2,983 
  

3,316 
  

2,153 
  



Aberdeen 
  

9,596 
  

10,047 
  

18,989 
  

19,101 
  

16,704 
  

13,082 
  



Banff&Buchan 
  

2,729 
  

4,007 
  

4,919 
  

4,466 
  

4,413 
  

3,458 
  



Gordon 
  

1,897 
  

2,683 
  

2,984 
  

2,658 
  

3,538 
  

3,335 
  



Kincardine&Deeside 
  

853 
  

1,442 
  

2,046 
  

2,583 
  

2,769 
  

1,957 
  



Moray 
  

3,196 
  

3,933 
  

3,813 
  

5,538 
  

6,504 
  

4,052 
  



Badenoch&Strathspey 
  

390 
  

516 
  

471 
  

1,016 
  

759 
  

604 
  



Caithness 
  

505 
  

487 
  

812 
  

860 
  

1,522 
  

1,212 
  



Inverness 
  

2,705 
  

2,446 
  

3,839 
  

2,629 
  

2,871 
  

2,061 
  



Lochaber 
  

0 
  

1,266 
  

1,348 
  

1,761 
  

1,322 
  

1,345 
  



Nairn 
  

367 
  

453 
  

470 
  

595 
  

767 
  

537 
  



Ross&Cromarty 
  

1,633 
  

2,469 
  

3,135 
  

2,598 
  

2,281 
  

2,116 
  



Skye&Lochalsh 
  

400 
  

334 
  

398 
  

600 
  

374 
  

430 
  



Sutherland 
  

327 
  

706 
  

730 
  

708 
  

864 
  

441 
  



East Lothian 
  

5,545 
  

6,649 
  

6,271 
  

5,030 
  

4,810 
  

3,918 
  



Edinburgh 
  

23,952 
  

18,923 
  

13,956 
  

10,966 
  

11,240 
  

9,775 
  



Midlothian 
  

5,854 
  

3,951 
  

3,855 
  

3,053 
  

3,889 
  

2,484 
  



West Lothian 
  

6,293 
  

5,608 
  

7,471 
  

6,101 
  

8,156 
  

5,402 
  



Argyll&Bute 
  

2,898 
  

3,818 
  

3,226 
  

3,492 
  

4,196 
  

2,724 
  



Bearsden&Milngavie 
  

1,319 
  

1,057 
  

820 
  

871 
  

758 
  

539 
  



Clydebank 
  

5,964 
  

4,539 
  

4,855 
  

2,650 
  

2,323 
  

1,536 
  



Clydesdale 
  

2,191 
  

2,180 
  

2,287 
  

2,254 
  

2,648 
  

2,618 
  



Cumbernauld&Kilsyth 
  

1,130 
  

1,348 
  

1,439 
  

1,326 
  

1,316 
  

1,258 
  



Cumnock&Doon Valley 
  

1,589 
  

1,945 
  

2,243 
  

2,713 
  

2,716 
  

2,135 
  



Cunninghame 
  

6,458 
  

5,724 
  

4,917 
  

5,745 
  

5,586 
  

4,366 
  



Dumbarton 
  

4,758 
  

2,802 
  

4,319 
  

4,412 
  

3,669 
  

2,260 
  



East Kilbride 
  

645 
  

625 
  

774 
  

546 
  

514 
  

1,108 
  



Eastwood 
  

731 
  

334 
  

720 
  

635 
  

668 
  

505 
  



Glasgow 
  

46,957 
  

41,513 
  

39,163 
  

33,634 
  

32,577 
  

28,959 
  



Hamilton 
  

9,317 
  

6,473 
  

10,166 
  

7,518 
  

11,957 
  

9,318 
  



Inverclyde 
  

2,922 
  

3,498 
  

5,000 
  

3,814 
  

5,677 
  

4,533 
  



Kilmarnock&Loudoun 
  

3,850 
  

4,059 
  

4,037 
  

3,395 
  

3,544 
  

3,277 
  



Kyle&Carrick 
  

5,983 
  

5,395 
  

6,921 
  

6,833 
  

8,073 
  

6,771 
  



Monklands 
  

8,306 
  

8,256 
  

9,681 
  

9,711 
  

12,410 
  

9,523 
  



Motherwell 
  

12,600 
  

9,383 
  

10,415 
  

11,530 
  

13,192 
  

9,330 
  



Renfrew 
  

11,584 
  

10,432 
  

11,984 
  

8,730 
  

7,976 
  

5,269 
  



Strathkelvin 
  

3,358 
  

3,806 
  

4,228 
  

3,440 
  

3,467 
  

2,727 
  



Angus 
  

2,999 
  

3,809 
  

3,306 
  

3,469 
  

4,222 
  

3,843 
  



Dundee 
  

18,405 
  

11,007 
  

9,392 
  

8,832 
  

7,421 
  

5,034 
  



Perth&Kinross 
  

5,369 
  

5,537 
  

5,835 
  

4,753 
  

6,078 
  

4,454 
  



  1. All years include Right to Buy and sales under Tenant's Choice. In addition, 1990-91 to 1994-95 include Sales-Other; 1991-92 to 1994-95 include Rent To Mortgage-Voluntary. 1993-94 to 1995-96 include Rent to Mortgage-Initial receipts; 1995-96 includes Sales-Voluntary.

  Source: As reported by authorities on the statistical return Capital Payments and their Financing (CPR 5) for the financial years 1990-91 to 1994-95 and Housing Capital Payments and Capital Receipts (HCM 5) for the financial year 1995-96.

  Table 2

  Total Capital Receipts - Council House Sales 1996/97 - 1997/98

  

Total 
Receipts


£000s



 

1996-97 
  

1997-98 
  



Scotland


198,930


229,569



 
 
 



Aberdeen City 
  

11,201 
  

14,967 
  



Aberdeenshire 
  

7,310 
  

9,709 
  



Angus 
  

4,535 
  

4,886 
  



Argyll & Bute 
  

3,387 
  

2,721 
  



Clackmannanshire 
  

2,893 
  

2,090 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

7,086 
  

6,501 
  



Dundee City 
  

4,096 
  

4,366 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

7,032 
  

6,540 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

2,688 
  

2,620 
  



East Lothian 
  

3,671 
  

5,032 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

934 
  

1,483 
  



Edinburgh, City of 
  

9,039 
  

11,882 
  



Eilean Siar 
  

527 
  

566 
  



Falkirk 
  

6,440 
  

8,471 
  



Fife 
  

11,866 
  

12,566 
  



Glasgow City 
  

20,489 
  

25,642 
  



Highland 
  

10,451 
  

10,586 
  



Inverclyde 
  

4,197 
  

6,290 
  



Midlothian 
  

3,182 
  

4,058 
  



Moray 
  

3,981 
  

3,818 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

4,368 
  

5,367 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

19,966 
  

20,043 
  



Orkney Islands 
  

769 
  

758 
  



Perth & Kinross 
  

4,100 
  

4,419 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

5,505 
  

7,928 
  



Scottish Borders 
  

2,938 
  

5,206 
  



Shetland Islands 
  

1,046 
  

1,407 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

4,560 
  

5,079 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

16,398 
  

17,950 
  



Stirling 
  

4,020 
  

3,833 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

2,700 
  

3,560 
  



West Lothian 
  

7,555 
  

9,225 
  



  1. Includes Right to Buy receipts, Rent To Mortgage initial receipts, sales under Tenant's Choice and Others.

  Source: As reported by councils on the statistical return Certificate of Capital Payments and Receipts (CCPR) for the financial years 1996-97 and 1997-98.

Housing

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people on the housing waiting list of each local authority in Scotland: (a) are waiting for a transfer; (b) are homeless; (c) are waiting for elderly persons’ accommodation, and (d) live in houses.

Ms Wendy Alexander: This information is not held centrally.

Housing

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an estimate for the current financial year of the number of homes in each local authority area that suffer from dampness.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The information requested is not collected centrally except in relation to local authority stock. The latest available information for local authority stock is for the year to 31 March 1997. The only available information for all stock is derived from the 1996 Scottish House Condition Survey when 25% (534,000) of all Scottish dwellings were estimated to be suffering from problems of dampness and/or condensation.

Housing

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what is the total amount in cash terms of capital receipts from housing assets set aside to repay debt by Scottish local authorities for each financial year since 1997/98.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Housing capital receipts set aside by Scottish local authorities to redeem debt in 1997-98 totalled £172 million. Although final figures are not yet available, local authorities have estimated capital receipts set aside in 1998-99 to be £149 million.

Housing

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to relax the obligation on Scottish local authorities to use 75% of housing capital receipts to repay debt.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The requirement to use housing receipts to repay debt was introduced in order to reduce the debt burden carried by local authorities. The set aside arrangements were considered last year as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review. No change was made. There are no plans for a further review.

Information

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make available better statistical information to enable the Parliament to base its decisions on relevant and accurate information.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive will make a wide range of high quality, relevant statistical information available to the Parliament and the public. The Executive is committed to the maintenance of high professional standards by its statistical staff, to adherence to the Government Statistical Service Code of Practice and to a continuing programme of improvement to the range and quality of the information available, in consultation with data providers and users. Particular attention will be paid to needs identified by the Parliament.

  Prior to 1 July a number of initiatives were undertaken by The Scottish Office, in anticipation of increased needs for data following devolution. These included the development of new economic series and enhancements to others, and the establishment of the Scottish Household Survey in February of this year. The first results from the Scottish Household Survey will be published within the next few weeks.

  A White Paper on official statistics will be published shortly by the UK Government. The Scottish Executive will consider at an early stage what additional arrangements might be needed to ensure the quality and accessibility of statistical information about Scotland. A statement will be issued in due course.

Justice

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to recommend to the Scottish Law Commission that it incorporates the issue of long leases of residential property into its seventh programme of law reform.

Mr Jim Wallace: I refer Mr Ewing to the reply I gave on 19 July 1999 to his question S1W-275.

Justice

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of which public sector bodies have initiated poindings and warrant sales in each of the last 3 years in Scotland.

Mr Jim Wallace: Information is not available in the form requested. The tables set out the information which is recorded on poindings and warrant sales executed for the three years ending 1998.

  Poindings and Warrant Sales

  Executed under the Summary Warrant Procedure

  



1996 
  

1997 
  

1998 
  



Council Tax:







Poinding 
  

6,850 
  

12,046 
  

10,260 
  



Warrant Sale 
  

30 
  

21 
  

37 
  



Community 
  Charge:







Poinding 
  

946 
  

916 
  

747 
  



Warrant Sale 
  

1 
  

19 
  

3 
  



Other Summary 
  Warrant:







Poinding 
  

5,313 
  

6,018 
  

5,778 
  



Warrant Sale 
  

92 
  

92 
  

79 
  



  Poindings and Warrant Sales

  (Non-Summary Warrant Procedure)

  


 


1996
  

1997
  

1998
  



Non-Summary Cause: 


 


 


 




Poinding
  

1,931
  

2,089
  

2,168
  



Warrant Sale
  

182
  

207
  

178
  



Summary Cause:


 


 


 




Poinding
  

4,065
  

3,990
  

4,114
  



Warrant Sale
  

331
  

270
  

216

Justice

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what is the breakdown by local authority area of the poindings and warrant sales which have taken place in Scotland in each of the past three years.

Mr Jim Wallace: Information is not available in the form requested. The tables set out the information which is recorded on poindings and warrant sales executed for the three years ending 1998.

  Poindings and Warrant Sales

  Executed under the Summary Warrant Procedure

  



1996 


1997 


1998 




Council Tax:
Poinding
Warrant Sale 
  


6,850
30 
  


12,046
21 
  


10,260
37 
  



Community 
  Charge:
Poinding
Warrant Sale 
  


946
1 
  


916
19 
  


747
3 
  



Other Summary 
  Warrant:
Poinding
Warrant Sale 
  


5,313
92 
  


6,018
92 
  


5,778
79 
  



  Poindings and Warrant Sales

  (Non-Summary Warrant Procedure)

  



1996 


 1997 
  


1998 




Non-Summary 
  Cause:
Poinding
Warrant Sale 
  


1,931
182 
  


2,089
207 
  


2,168
178 
  



Summary Cause:
Poinding
Warrant Sale 
  


4,065
331 
  


3,990
270 
  


4,114
216

Justice

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 in so far as it relates to matters within its responsibility.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive has no plans to review the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 in so far as it relates to devolved matters.

Justice

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times have the Deputy First Minister and the Lord Advocate met to discuss policy.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Deputy First Minister and Minister for Justice and the Lord Advocate discuss policy regularly.

Justice

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times have the Deputy Minister for Justice and the Lord Advocate met to discuss policy.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Deputy Minister for Justice and the Lord Advocate have discussed policy matters from time to time.

Sport

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the light of the decision about developing a National Swimming Training and Research Centre in Scotland, it intends to make a statement about the future development of this key aspect of sports provision.

Rhona Brankin: I refer the Member to the answer S1W-240 given to Dr Richard Simpson, on 19 July 1999.

Taxation

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to make an assessment of the impact on the Scottish economy of the proposed Climate Change Levy.

Mr Henry McLeish: I   am aware that concerns have been expressed about the impact of the proposed Climate Change Levy on particular areas and industries. I do intend to keep the matter under close review.

Transport

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to make representations to Her Majesty’s Government regarding the application of the fifth and sixth freedoms for air freight to Scottish airports.

Sarah Boyack: International aviation agreements are a matter reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Executive is however interested in any extension of air transport liberalisation, which has potential benefits for the Scottish economy, and we will promote Scotland’s case at any suitable opportunity. Sixth freedoms are not recognised by international aviation conventions and we have no plans to make representations on their application to Scottish airports.